Gosh I've been SL forever!!

[Desarae]

I'm in the club, and all this trimming is not helping things. I am going to have to seriously PS for a year before I pass this hump...I'm just not ready for the commitment yet.

 

[janaq2003]

I'm stuck too.

 

[FemmeCreole]

I'm thinking of doing a DC with egg today..... it might take my mind off the slow growth for a couple days. Oh I wore a bun today.....I think S/O will just have to get used to it.

 

[LunadeMiel]

I think the reason many of us are stuck at shoulder length is because we don't protective style. So our ends keep rubbing on our clothes in addition to being dried by the air so they break off or split and later break off. Majority of people who have gone beyond shoulder to APL and BSL are protective stylers.

I agree. From the info that you posted I think your hair has been breaking off. It took me 6 months to go from SL to APL and that's because I been constantly Protective styling.

 

[beaux cheveux]

I'm stuck as well.erplexed And worst yet my hair is breaking off in the front and I don't know why...

 

[pri]

I've been trying to wear my hair is a bun but my S/O hates it..... he's always on my case to wear my hair down.

I have the same problem w/ my DH and all I tell him is when my hair is flowing down my back resting at mbl+ you'll thank me then.. so for now let me continue doing what I got to do to get it there..thank you...love you...then I'll show him some pics of all the ladies that went from nl/sl to bsl+ by means of protective styling and he says man...I guess you better put that sucker in a bun...lol! So, don't worry...if you gotta PS it then I say give it a try b/c it works!

 

[Mystic]

Girl, I hear you and can TOTALLY relate. I hate my hair so much because it grows so slowly that I wouldn't mind putting it way for a whole year!! Yet, I can't even keep a weave in for 3 weeks! My hair has not grown any longer than it was in 12/08 and I have been doing protective styles, lol. My hair is natural, never worn it in a fro, only straighten once (if that much) per month, keep the back up, eats well, exercise, dc..., damn, I could go on and on......... Just typing this is getting me pissed, lol.

If this keeps on happening, I might just have to relax it out and call it a day. I don't recall going through this SLOW growth when I was relaxed. I would love to stay natural but short hair is too unflattering on me, and the potential of going another two years at shoulder is right there in the back of my head. I am not thrilled about that at all.

 

[Live4Me]

Based on your photo from OCT 08 you have about 5 inches from SL to APL. That's a year if you only trim one inch during that journey. Seeing as how you already trimmed two inches so far, you are already looking at a 14 month journey. And this is only if you grow the full 0.5" monthly and have no additional breakage on top of your cuts. So you have to put it in perspective. I am 5'10" and I thought it would only take 6 months to get from SL to APL. But then I did some measuring and boy was I off. On top of my height I have a relatively long torso too. Geesh!

 

[Solitude]

If it weren't for roller sets & protective styling, my hair would have never gotten this far. I reached full SL in January & now my hair is about 1 1/2 inches from APL. I like to wear my hair down, so I had to learn how to roller set.

I REALLY want to reach APL, so I have been strictly co-washing, DCing, doing braidouts, and wearing buns for 90% of the time. My hair made leaps and bounds when I started doing this.

I think that the flat-iron is the number one enemy when you are dealing with dry ends. If you roller set or wear a braid-out, then wearing your hair down isn't necessarily going to hinder your retention.

ETA: Also, do you stretch your relaxers, Val? If I do relax my hair again, it won't be until I get to APL. Before, I stretched my way to full SL